Census Bureau: Oregon's largest counties grow while rural areas empty

Washington County was the state's fastest-growing county by population in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

Oregon's most populous counties are growing, while many rural areas
continue to see residents leave.

According to annual population estimates released by the U.S.
Census Bureau, the Portland metro area population reached 2,289,800 in July 2012
-- a jump of 1.3 percent from the year before and 2.9 percent since the 2010
census.

Washington County posted the largest population gain among Oregon counties
with a 1.5 percent year-over-year jump. Multnomah, Deschutes, Wasco and
Clackamas counties all also posted gains of more than one percent.

The biggest population losers over the past year were Curry, Grant, Lake,
Harney and Wallowa counties, each of which lost more than one percent of its
population. They all recorded more deaths than births, and more people moving
out than moving in.

Oregon's statewide population was 3,899,353 on July 1, 2012. That's up 0.8
percent from a year earlier and 1.8 percent from the 2010 Census.

During the early part of the 2000s, the statewide population was growing by
more than 1 percent each year, said Risa Proehl, a research associate at the
Population Research Center at Portland State University.

"When the recession hit, growth rates slowed down," she said. "But even
though it's still under 1 percent, the growth rate has increased every year
since at least 2010."

Declines were concentrated in more rural counties in Eastern Oregon and in
coastal communities.

"Typically more rural counties will see an out-migration of young adults,"
Proehl said. "Those numbers aren't replaced, especially if there isn't any job
availability."

About 59 percent of the state's net population gain in 2012 was due to
migration, and about 40 percent was due to natural increase -- that is, more
births than deaths.

People moving to Oregon from another country were responsible for about
one-third of the net in-migration. The rest moved from elsewhere in the U.S.

The Census Bureau numbers Thursday don't reflect where people are moving
from, but Proehl said other research shows most international emigrants come
from Latin America and Asia.

"I think the reason for moving to Oregon is for economic opportunity
coupled with coming to a community that has been established by those of the
same or similar culture," Proehl said.

Elsewhere in the country, the Census Bureau reported the strongest
population growth in the Great Plains and western Texas, fueled by the booming
energy sector.

The Midland, Texas, area was the fastest-growing metro area, with
population growth of 4.6 percent in the year ending July 1, 2012.